Basildon's Eastgate Shopping Centre is set to go under the hammer as council bosses pin their hopes of scrapping a major 2,800-home redevelopment on talks with its new owner.

Senior councillors say the centre is set to be sold off at auction in the coming days after owners InfraRed UK went into administration last November.

They hope the new owner will hold talks over the future of the centre, and help to fight off major plans for 2,800 homes.

It comes after the Government gave the go-ahead to the proposals, which will see some of the shopping centre replaced with tower blocks up to 23 storeys high.

The Asda store and its car park and filling station, Kelting House, the Eastern Mall, and the old Debenhams department store, would all be flattened to make way for the tower blocks.

Craig Rimmer, Basildon councillor responsible for regeneration, said: “I am hoping to negotiate with the new owners about the agreed plans for the centre and that they will be more in tune with our plans.

“We will be pushing for talks with the new owners on this issue.”

He added: “We accept there is a need for housing there and less commercial, and housing would be welcome there.

“We would prefer medium rise development, our argument is against the massing and density in the plan.”

Andrew Baggott, leader of Basildon Council, said: “The administrators are in the process of selling it and we will be keeping an eye on it.

“We are obliged to have positive talks with the new owners about our aspirations and their’s too for the site and centre.”

Basildon Council had stood against the 2,800 homes plan for the Eastgate, with a planning inspector brought in to the rule on the scheme following a public inquiry.

It is the third major planning appeal that has gone against the council in the last ten months.

FTI Consulting, the administrators for the Eastgate, were contacted for comment but did not respond in time for print.